Steve Ellner's Blog on Venezuela, Latin America and Beyond

The centralization of ownership of the private media in the United States and elsewhere has become increasingly pronounced, at the same time that its reporting has become increasingly one-sided and monolithic. My blog seeks to expose this lack of objectivity and present alternative ideas that point in the direction of much-needed fundamental change.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

LESSONS DERIVED FROM DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES IN VENEZUELA

There are real lessons to be learnt from the Venezuelan experience under Presidents Chávez and

Maduro. In this article that was just posted by New Left Project, I try to go past appearances to get at the root of the problems that the government currently faces. Article of mine posted by New Left Project.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

LEFT FORUM 2015: TWO PANELS ON LATIN AMERICA

I have
organized two panels for the Left Forum (John Jay College, NY) that are
scheduled for Saturday, May 30.

Challenges Facing Latin America’s Radical
Left (10:00
-11:50 AM): A mixed picture for the Latin American radical left has emerged over the
last two years. On the one hand, leftist and moderate leftist governments have
won presidential elections in Ecuador, Bolivia, El Salvador and Brazil, while
right-wing presidential candidates with strong possibilities of success were
defeated in Chile, Panama and Colombia. On the other hand, some left-leaning
governments have faced increasing economic difficulties which have contributed
to weaker results in recent elections. In Venezuela the government of Nicolás
Maduro has been subject to an all-out destabilization campaign and will now
face a congressional election that the opposition wants to characterize as a
plebiscite. In addition, the sharp decline in international hydrocarbon prices
has negatively affected the economies of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. In
Venezuela and elsewhere the role of the market in nations committed to
socialism has become a major issue of debate, as is currently the case in Cuba.
The presentations on this panel will look at the challenges facing the Latin
radical left as well as factors that favor the political survival of those
governments, such as the emergence of UNASUR, MERCOSUR, CELAC, ALBA and other
international bodies free of U.S. domination. Finally, it will look at the role
of the United States in efforts to counter the radical left in the region.

Is Post-Chavez Venezuela
Still Leftist?(Saturday,
12:00-1:50 PM):In the aftermath of the death of Hugo Chávez,
the key question for the left is whether his successors have been true to his
legacy, or whether the “revolutionary process” has now stalled or, even worse,
been thrown into reverse. The pressing problems that now beset Venezuela have
convinced some Chavistas that President Nicolás Maduro is lacking in Chávez’s
political acumen. These problems include chronic shortages of consumer goods
and an annual inflation rate of over 60 percent. Both of these, according to
Maduro, are part of an “economic war” waged by powerful interests to
destabilize Venezuela. Another problem is the Chavista leadership’s intolerance
toward internal criticism, including the significant number of critical
Chavistas who have had their programs removed from state-run radio and
television. Nevertheless, those who characterize Maduro’s rule as one of
retrenchment fail to recognize that governments in the past never confronted
the business sector by temporarily occupying commercial establishments and
warehouses, confiscating trucks running contraband operations, encouraging
community involvement in the denunciation of business abuses, or placing limits
on profits. The radical Chavistas exaggerate when they point to the
government’s errors and the problems the country faces as proof that
revolutionary goals have been abandoned and that the process of change is fully
in reverse.

Monday, May 11, 2015

RULING OUT IMF-FORMULAS IN THE FACE OF VENEZUELA’S KNOTTY ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

economic policies.
But he has to be given credit for having ruled out IMF-style austerity policies
in this moment of economic difficulties and contraction. The following is an
article of mine on the topic published in Red Pepper magazine and Alborada.net:
http://www.alborada.net/ellner-venezuela-0515

About Me

Steve Ellner has taught economic history at the Universidad de Oriente in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela since 1977. He is the author of numerous books and journal and magazine articles on Venezuela history and politics. He frequently lectures on Venezuela and Latin American political developments in the U.S. and elsewhere. He received his Ph.D. in Latin American history at the University of New Mexico in 1980.